After 2 days of sifting chaff and picking out rotten grains and sneaky wheat-sized weed seeds, 3 days of rinsing and soaking (at which point I found out bad wheat floats...would have made the sifting much simpler!), I mashed the softened, sadly unsprouted kernels with my bare hands and sortof kneeded the gooey result until gluten strands began to form. Fun. There were some pretty rancid smells in the rinsing and kneeding process, but I had faith (or at least hope). The bread was definitely soured...reasonably tastey though.
Victory, it's edible!
Julia from Finland didn't think so, though...this is breadman, whom she made from a wadded up ball of the slice she didn't want.
I have spent a wonderful month WWOOFing on Keiko's farm in Saitama prefecture, learning to spin wool and weave, care for sheep, goats, chickens, and aigamo ducks, expand my Japanese cooking abilites (a little, anyway), weed, harvest, plant, drive a tractor and wheat combine, bake bread from wheat I harvested...It's been really great. The woman who owns the farm is so awesome. What a blessing to know her.
I decided a few days ago to look for a temple to study zazen. Mostly, what I was finding from google/internet searching was short stays--$150 for 4 days or so...I don't want just a taste like this. I want to study. With a little help from bi-lingual Masaru and a contact from a friend of the Salt Lake Zen Center, I have made a reservation at a temple in Obama, Fukui (Bukkokuji). I should be arriving there Tuesday before lunch time and I hope to stay a month. My plan for now is to take a bus Monday night from Tokyo to Kyoto and connect somehow,probably a train. The journey will take about 12 hours and cost about $70, plus $10 to get from Keiko's farm to Tokyo. This is about what I've spent in the last month, including a spree I went on yesterday to buy Japanese ninja farmer shoes and split toe socks to wear with them. I'm still planning to WWOOF a little once I finish my temple stay. Tomorrow morning I will pack for the journey and figure out what stays here at the farm for my return to pick it up and what I will lug with me on the next leg of my journey...
I feel woefully underprepared in Japanese temple ettiquette. I feel like I should bring a gift of some sort but I really don't know what to bring. Maybe some organic veggies from the farm?? I also don't have proper meditation clothing (loose fitting black pants and long sleeve shirts). I have one pair of light weight black pants I bought in Thailand and a black tee-shirt Keiko bought for Lansen that he didn't take with him (too many shirts, he said...one, two, three...waaaaay too many shirts! lol...). It had a small silver playboy bunny embroidered on the front which I had to cut out. Unfortunately, the shirt emerged a bit scathed...patching is on the agenda tonight...hopefully, I can find some cheap clothes or at least a black bedsheet at a recycle shop in Tokyo or Kyoto tomorrow/the next day?
On the other hand, I am now the proud owner of my very own pair of Japanese ninja farmer shoes! They have an indigo colored liner and are about 10" tall, except that's really hot, so I folded them down when I wore them for the first time this evening. That made them look more like Elf shoes, which is potentially a bonus, depending on my mood? I love em'!
Blessings everyone. My heart and prayers go out to everyone wherever you may be on your journey. Much love!
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